Keeping Bloggers on Track

Stealing Content and Correct Linking for Crediting Someone

Unfortunately content stealing is something I come across very often in the blogging circles, especially so if you are a DIY, Foodie or Activity blogger.

Do NOT steal content.

It is NOT OK to copy someone else’s hard work.

It is NOT OK to copy an entire post from someone else and use it on your blog either.

But it is OKto be inspired by someone to do something similar with your own spin on it. If you do this, it is ethical to give credit. If it is a tutorial you followed on someone else’s blog don’t go and put the step by step in your blog, send your readers who actually want to make it to the source.

Sometimes I will think of a craft, I do the craft then write it up and publish only to see the same thing later that week (publish date for months ago) from someone else! This has happened a few times with me already. (great minds think alike?)

I didn’t steal the idea but one has to realize that there are only so many things we can think of originally. I am sure everything has been done at some or other time. In situations like this it is important to remember that your post has your personality and style in it, your own pictures and most importantly that is why your readers come to you.

Why linking is good for your Google SEO.

When you link the phrase ‘pink tutu’, you’re vouching for and telling Google this page is about pink tutu.

That is why writing the link as “I found this tutorial here” just doesn’t do anything for you or the other page. The reason is that Google classifies the links according to the titles you give them.

You will notice the links as highlighted in color are all the titles of the posts I was referring to. This gives me and them authority with Google for the topics we are talking about in this post, because I have linked the keywords.

Check out this screenshot:

See how I linked every post with the relevant keyword? It is good for you and the person you linked to!

Do the right thing, don’t steal and give credit where credit is due. As bloggers we rely on community and need to treat each other better and support each other correctly.

Comments

One day last summer, I tweeted something. It was funny. One of the bloggers following me put the same tweet in her blog, almost word for word, the same night I tweeted it. No big deal. I’m glad she thought it was funny, right? So then at some point, I ask her if I can guest write anywhere, she’s a big blog with hook ups everywhere. She guest writes in many places, and operates a website that has multiple writers. She said, “No, I don’t do that.” Ok. Fine. No big deal. Then I message her, “Hey I did this thing on my blog which was funny go check it out. You can use any of the pictures for your thing you are doing, but ask first because a couple are not my pictures.” She lectured me about copying. THe woman who copied my tweet and refuses to give me any recognition anywhere on her blog for any reason lectured me about copying other bloggers. The woman who is using someone else’s trademark without their permission to capitalize readership lectured me about copying because I used 3 pictures from Facebook in a compilation of pictures on that subject.

I don’t think people get it. Every time I’m inspired by a blog post, I link to it. When People I Want to Punch in the Throat wrote about a story in the news that I didn’t know existed until her post, I linked to her in my post on the subject. If I know where it comes from and I want to use it, I link.

One of my most recent blog posts is about the WV water crisis. I’m in West Virginia. I wanted a place with all the info at the same place. Most stories focus only on one aspect. So most of the article is pertinent quotes from another article with a link, followed by my snark. That’s as close as I get to copying.

But I’m copied all the time. People take a concept I did and redo it their way without giving me any credit for it. It’s usually the bigger bloggers running dry of ideas looking for anything to keep them big. That adds to insult because they can post, “I farted haha” on their facebook and like 20% of their readers who out number my entire readership will hit that like button. So when they take my idea so obvious I know it was from me and I can tell you where they saw it, so obvious I’m not sure how they would think that I don’t know, it’s disturbing. They are usually also the first to complain about people stealing their content, like posting their picture they stole somewhere else on their page without sharing it or giving a link back to them… That’s even more disturbing…

But I do know that great minds think alike. I had that happen recently too, soon after being lectured about copying. I did a Top List of Things Not to Buy My Kids for Christmas as a slideshow. All the items were from the top of my head, and the content was definitely unique. Well the day I posted it, a mutual blogger in my circle randomly posted a link to someone else’s blog they usually don’t link to, an older post from the previous year, a top 10 things not to buy my kids, as if hinting I stole the idea. So in good faith, I wrote the blogger who wrote that piece a note, “I didn’t steal it from you. I didn’t read your blog back then, haha great minds think alike,” and I never got a reply back whatsoever, but I still went back and updated my post to link to her . “Hey I didn’t realize someone else did a similar post, check it out..”

I think there is a blogger etiquette, but most bloggers don’t follow it. The ones who don’t are the most outspoken when karma strikes them. And funnier, their followers believe them. Clueless and oblivious that they are following the queen copier.

This is a very big subject because I don’t dare rock any boats between me and another blogger, especially one who is bigger than me. I’m afraid to complain on my blog about it, especially since they are rude to me while taking my stuff… Thank you for letting me get it out here 🙂 I hope it helps people understand the gravity of it.

Hi Nicolette ,
I do agree with you, it is not nice to write ” I saw this cool idea on the internet……. “. Couldn’t the writer mention WHERE on the internet?!
I have to add that a blogger should make sure not to use the same anchor text again and again.
And by the way, I found your article on Sverve 🙂

Good tips. I recently used a tutorial as inspiration and went back and forth on re-posting the steps myself. I ended up linking (as I always do) and directing people to her page for the full tutorial and only touched on the steps I did differently. I always think about how I would feel if I was the one with the original idea.
Thanks for sharing!

Hey Nicollette, I only put up the part that really stood out to me then linked to you. However if i put up too much i apologize. Anyways i took it down. I can’t re-write what you said because i liked the way you worded it and i dont want to include one sentence, that doesn’t give much people a reason to click the link. Anywho, happy blogging.

copying half a blog post is making duplicate content on your site and google penalizes you for it. (not to mention taking my writings) Quoting someone is usually a paragraph only. If you want to keep things like this pin them to a special pinterest board and if you wish to share, share it on facebook / twitter or G+.